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The day after SWIM has a few drinks with benzo's (Ativan), he experiences a weird hangover effect. It makes him feel very distant... and neutral... very un-interested in much and a LITTLE groggy. Why is this?

Swim used to do benzo's pretty irresponsibly and knows lorazepam out of all the ones he's tried is the least friendly. Gave swim a hangover every time he took it. a few of swim's friends totally swore off ativan. They didn't swear off all benzo's just ativan. It gives swim a particularly dirty next day so he doesn't take it anymore, it seems to hang around for too long.

SWIM would like to remind that alcohol consumption generally slows the function of the kidneys in general, as can be read in layman's terms here. By reducing kidney function, SWIY is increasing the time it takes the body to filter anything out, including a substance such as Ativan. What is likely being felt the next day is most likely the comedown from the Ativan, which hadn't really even started to be filtered at a normal pace until the alcohol had been.

Since both alcohol and benzo's both work on GABA function, one could also suggest that the withdrawal could simply be the feeling SWIY would get if they had taken, say, 10mg of Ativan as compared to their actual 5mg consumed dose- as the receptors recovering from their altered state are one in the same.

The good news is that even a small dose of a benzo the following day should quell the majority of the neurological "hangover" feeling. Assuming SWIY is only an occasional user and has little/no tolerance, even something such as .5mg of Lorazepam (Ativan) or Alprazolam (Xanax) should help buy time to do the other things needed to recover- mainly rehydrate as much as possible- so that the overall experience isn't so bad.

swim would posit that these effects are most likely mild withdrawal syndrome. can't say for sure. swim never experienced the next-day hangover, but he always took clonazepam (much longer half-life, reduced likelihood of withdrawal symptoms). was prescribed lorazepam briefly, but only took it as-prescribed during that time.

lorazepam has a half-life comparable to that of alprazolam - slightly shorter, maybe. even some of the symptoms of an alcohol hangover have been theorized to actually be mild withdrawal syndrome.